Blog by Karin Peeters - Vitalis Coaching & Therapy

CBT Thought Record Diary: How to recognise and reframe your intrusive negative thoughts?

How to recognise and reframe your intrusive negative thoughts? An explanation with free download of the powerful tool of a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Thought Record to overcome your unhelpful thinking patterns.

Lifting your Mood, Reduce Stress and AnxietyKarin PeetersAugust 17, 2024cbt, cognitive, behviour, therapy, theory, thought record, thought, transformation

When switching off is not enough… How to really relax and why it matters.

Do you find it hard to switch off and recharge your batteries? What you call "relaxing" might be little more than distraction or avoidance. Learn all about how to truly relax here.

Reduce Stress and AnxietyKarin PeetersAugust 7, 2024coaching, psychotherapy, relaxation, stress, switching off, avoiding, numbing, relax, restore, escapism, distraction, avoidance, screens, dopamine, detox

Opening Pandora's Box: overcoming eight common fears about starting therapy

If you are scared about starting therapy, and are wondering if that is normal, then rest assured that yes it is. There are many worries about beginning therapy which can make it tempting to delay that phone call to a therapist when it’s your very first time…

Next Step in LifeKarin PeetersMay 20, 2024coaching, therapy, counselling, psychology, afraid, scared, concerns, worries, pandora box, pandoras box, can of worms, psychotherapy, fear, anxious, starting

Seven ways to Soothe

Seven ways to soothe your activated nervous system, and bring it back in a regulated and calm state. Enjoy reading!

Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Lifting your MoodKarin PeetersMay 8, 2024coaching, psychotherapy, nervous system, calm, calming, human

How does your body respond to stress?

How does your nervous system work and how to self-regulate your fight, flight, fawn and freeze responses with the help of Polyvagal Theory.

Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Lifting your MoodKarin PeetersApril 11, 2024techniques, anxiety, polyvagal, theory, therapy, ladder, nervous system, exercises, Deb Dana, stephen porges, stress, trauma, freeze, fight, flight, fawn

Let’s get emotional! How to build our emotional vocabulary?

How to figure out how we feel about something? And how to express emotions in words? Let’s expand our emotional vocabulary with feeling words, so we can name our experiences and improve our connection with ourselves and others.

Lifting your Mood, Loving Relationships, Reduce Stress and AnxietyKarin PeetersMarch 19, 2024emotions, feelings, wheel, list, understand, meaning, definition, vocabulary, language, words, chart, examples

Transactional Analysis (TA) - exploring your Life Script

Understanding your life script, injunctions (prohibitions) and drivers (behavioural sign posts), and making conscious redecisions is vital for a healthy, authentic life. Includes four ways to rewrite your own script.

Confidence & Self-Worth, Loving RelationshipsKarin PeetersDecember 24, 2023anxiety, Transactional, Analysis, TA, life scripts, script, injunctions, drivers, childhood, parent adult child model, examples

Festive Burnout - what to do when Christmas creates anxiety and overwhelm

Does the thought of Christmas exhaust you? Here we are offering some very practical things to do in the moment should you become overwhelmed.

Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Loving RelationshipsKarin PeetersDecember 4, 2023christmas, exhaustion, overwhelm, burnout, stressful, stress, festive season, holidays

Common Christmas family arguments and how to avoid them

Have the gift of a harmonious home for Christmas and don’t spend a penny. Register today for our free video guide with three practical coaching tools to avoid stress, rows and arguments.

Loving RelationshipsKarin PeetersNovember 27, 2023christmas, family, dinner, wishes, celebration, harmony, stress, arguments, rows, conflict, toxic, relatives, festive season, gatherings, fights

Understanding the Parent Adult Child Model (PAC) of Transactional Analysis

Taking time to become our own nurturing parent for our inner child is so vital. This model helps to improve our relationship with ourselves and others, enhances our communication and frees ourselves from unhelpful patterns.

Loving RelationshipsKarin PeetersNovember 17, 2023PAC Model, Parent, Adult, Child, Model, Transactional, Analysis, TA, Theory, Psychology, ego state, ego states, Eric Berne, transactions

Cultivating a Spiritual Practice, easy guidance for busy people

A spiritual practice isn’t something that should feel like another addition to a growing to-do-list of responsibilities, but rather an opportunity to spend time with yourself.

Spiritual Health & WellnessKarin PeetersOctober 6, 2023spirituality, spiritual, practice, practices, disciplines, list, meditation, compassion, metta, loving kindness, coaching, therapy, buddhism, purpose

A purpose driven life: 7 ways to find the right direction in life when feeling lost.

Going through the motions and not really having a clear sense of purpose can be mind and soul numbing. Enjoy these simple ways to help you get unstuck if you’re feeling a little lost in life.

Next Step in LifeKarin PeetersSeptember 13, 2023purpose, purpose driven life, direction, lost, life, meaning, path, coaching, psychotherapy, rick warren

The best spirituality books to read that will change your life - recommended by a Spiritual Coach & Psychotherapist

Recommended psychological self-help reads for the spiritually curious. There’s a whole variety of suggestions from lighter reads to more soul searching offerings.

How to use mindful journalling to quiet your inner critic

Enjoy these simple yet profound mindful writing exercises to tame negative self-talk, manage anxiety and cultivate a more compassionate inner voice.

Confidence & Self-Worth, Reduce Stress and AnxietyKarin PeetersJune 7, 2023inner critic, negative self talk, writing exercises, journalling, journalling prompts, ideas, tools, techniques, journal, compassionate inner voice, critical self talk, anxiety, confidence, mindful

How to spend your Christmas break in a meaningful way?

Finding your way from doing what’s expected of you to maximising self-care, especially during the festive season.

Spiritual Health & WellnessKarin PeetersNovember 4, 2022coaching, therapy, counselling, christmas, festive season, meaning, meaningful, nourishing, holiday, break

What does it really mean to love someone?

The first 18 months of being in a new relationship are bliss. But then you get to know each other, and the challenges begin… You’re invited to learn how to love.

Loving RelationshipsKarin PeetersApril 20, 2022coaching, therapy, counselling, love, meaning, means, quotes, i love you, what's love meaning, english, relationships, relationship, couple counsellor, loving, healthy

Slowly does it during the winter months

How can we naturally embrace slowing down pace in winter, without feeling as if we’re getting depressed?

Lifting your Mood, Reduce Stress and AnxietyKarin PeetersDecember 16, 2021coaching, therapy, psychotherapy, depression, depressed, winter, winter months, treatment, name, vitamins, survive, how to stop winter depression, light, lamp

5 4 3 2 1 Grounding Technique for Anxiety, Racing Thoughts and Stress

Learn a powerful coping technique for managing the symptoms of anxiety and stress by grounding yourself in the present moment. It is called the 5 Senses Mindfulness Exercise when your mind is agitated and you are longing for inner calm.